Iowa caucuses kick off primary season

About 200,000 Democrats are expected to gather Monday evening across Iowa to begin the process of picking their party’s challenger to President Donald Trump. The meetings at about 1,600 sites will determine how the state divides its delegates to the Democratic National Convention this summer. Democrats have 41 delegates to dole out, while Trump is expected to win all 40 of the state’s Republican delegates.

Who is predicted to win among the Democrats? Polling is tight between Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont and former Vice President Joe Biden. Real Clear Politics’ final aggregate of Iowa polls gives a narrow edge to Sanders, with about 25 percent to Biden’s 21 percent. The only other candidates polling in double digits are former South Bend, Ind., Mayor Pete Buttigieg and Sen. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts. The public will get a better idea of who is in the lead earlier in the night because Democrats have decided to release the results of each round of caucus voting.

Dig deeper: From the WORLD archives, read Edward Lee Pitt’s inside look at a 2016 Republican caucus at Dordt University in Sioux Center, Iowa.